B-Side Guys

Big Sleep strips away pretense with a three-word mission statement: “go have fun.” That directive powers “Don’t You Wanna” through three minutes of fuzz-soaked urgency that refuses complexity in favor of immediate impact. The Dublin quartet—Rónán Connolly, Matteo Poli, Aidan Gray, and Naiara Clarke Lafuente—have built their reputation on explosive live energy across sold-out European venues, and this single captures that raw momentum without studio overpolishing.

Chris W Ryan’s production work with NewDad and Just Mustard has established his ability to balance grit with clarity, and he applies that same sensibility here. The fuzz coating doesn’t obscure the track’s architecture; it enhances the cathartic pulse that drives the song forward. Big Sleep’s Irish-Italian makeup brings a particular chemistry that informs their genre-bending approach—they pull from The Cure’s atmospheric darkness, Pixies’ explosive dynamics, Big Thief’s searching vulnerability, and J.J. Cale’s laid-back groove, but “Don’t You Wanna” leans hardest into pure rock urgency.

The band’s evolution from Connolly’s singer-songwriter origins into a full-throttle rock outfit shows in how confidently they embrace directness. There’s no lyrical ambiguity to decode, no conceptual framework requiring explanation. The track exists as pure invitation, the kind that works better shouted in a packed room than analyzed in isolation. Their consistent presence on Spotify’s New Music Friday and All New Rock playlists, combined with RTÉ naming them a Rising Artist of 2024, reflects their ability to craft hooks that connect immediately without sacrificing edge.

“Don’t You Wanna” arrives as Big Sleep prepares for a 13-date winter European tour spanning London, Paris, Berlin, and Copenhagen—cities where their sold-out shows have proven that their stage presence translates across borders. The single functions less as artistic statement and more as rallying cry, the sound of a band who’ve spent 18 months building momentum and refuse to let it dissipate. Sometimes the best directive is the simplest one.